Chapter 25

Jack sat outside in the dark on the front step long after Evelyn had said good night and gone upstairs. He waited for Bobby-like instructions on not to go anywhere, but didn't get anyway. He almost felt like he mentally had though, considering how guilty she made him feel earlier before about disappearing.

He sat there quietly, smoking and watching cars drive by in the night and going over the day's events in his head. A lot had happened that day. And then there was Anthony's phone call. He really wanted to know what he'd said to Evelyn about him.

When a car pulled up in the street and parked in front of the house, he recognized it as Bobby's car in the dim streetlight. Jack just watched as three emerged and he realized they must have convinced Angel to come back. They'd been gone for a pretty long time.

They were talking in hushed voices as they walked up the driveway.

Angel approached the doorstep first, muttering, "Fuck!" when he saw the boy sitting there. He'd seen the form of somebody and was startled at first before realizing who it was.

"What?" Bobby asked in concern, immediately drawing his gun from his back, where it was tucked into his waistband.

"Nothin'," Angel said, giving Jack a glare. "Sorry. It's just the kid."

Bobby walked up behind them and gave Jack a look as he shoved his gun back into his waistband. "It's late for you. Put that out." He pointed to the cigarette that he knew Jack was hiding with his hand behind his back.

"Put what out?" Jack asked.

"Don't make me have to tell you again. Put it out."

"Ain't you a little young to smoke?" Jerry asked him.

"No," Jack replied. "And I can't put it out. It's my last one."

"Put it out," Bobby persisted. "Now."

Jack tossed it aside, next to the sidewalk in some grass. He watched Bobby move to step on it and put it out completely. Bobby seemed to be in a bad mood; it was written all over his face, and his voice was impatient. Maybe he was always in a bad mood.

"It's late, I'm going to bed…" Jerry said, a solemn look on his face as well as he walked up the steps, around Jack, and opened the front door.

"Does Ma know you're up?" Angel asked Jack.

Jack shrugged.

"Well, then go to bed…" Angel replied. "I want to talk to Bobby."

Jack set his jaw. Why should he have to leave and go to bed? And what right did Angel have to tell him what to do? He looked at Bobby, who was looking off at his car, seeming to ignore both of them. Jack noticed his shirt.

"Why is there blood on your shirt?" he asked.

"Huh?" Bobby turned his head back to look at him. Then he looked down at his shirt where there was a red stain. He'd probably have to throw out the shirt. He ran his hand over it. "No reason."

No reason? Jack didn't get that.

"Bobby. Tell him to go to bed," Angel persisted. If Jack didn't listen to him yet, maybe he listened to Bobby. Most people listened to Bobby.

"You should go to bed too," Bobby returned. "You're in a terrible mood."

Angel set his jaw. "Gee… I wonder why." He shook his head. "But I wanted to finish this with you. And I want to talk out here. Tell him to go to bed."

"It's over for now."

"It's over for tonight."

"Well, for now, tonight, whatever." Bobby shook his head. "I think we're done for the night, Angel. We've talked all I can talk about it for tonight."

Angel had a sullen look. Jack wondered if his face would look better in the morning. He still looked pretty beat up. He wondered how Evelyn would react to that. It could go both ways. Maybe she was used to him looking like that. He wondered if that would make her yell. Did anything make her yell? He was curious.

Angel was heading inside, with Bobby now walking up the steps behind him. "C'mon, Jack. Inside. It's late."

"No."

Bobby stopped next to him and looked down at his disheveled hair. Angel had just stepped inside and wasn't waiting for them. "I mean it. Please don't test me now. It's not a good night."

"I don't want to come in."

"Jack. I mean it."

Jack said nothing.

Bobby sighed. "I'm counting to three. And you better get up. One…."

Jack looked up at him in surprise. "You said you wouldn't hurt me."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Bobby persisted. "But you are pissing me off." He shook his head. "Fine. Okay, if you want to stay outside, stay outside. Who am I to tell you what to do, right?"

Jack set his jaw as Bobby brushed passed him and walked inside. Why would anybody count to three in a threat if they weren't going to do anything? Part of him wanted to follow him, but he was afraid. The other part of him wanted to just sit out here. Think things out more. He wanted to find out what had happened between the three that night, be he didn't feel brave enough to ask.

Bobby felt kind of bad leaving Jack outside. Mostly because he kept thinking to himself how easy it would be to just give the kid a couple slaps and make him come inside. If it were Angel or Jerry he would probably do just that, but with Jack it was different.

With Jack he was trying so hard to be patient and not just succumb to his normal reactions. When he felt his anger swell up and felt the urge to smack him, he reminded himself that it was probably exactly what Jack expected him to do. And he could be better than that.

Bobby collapsed on the couch and kicked off his sneakers. He laid his gun on the end table and stretched out his legs. He was exhausted. Between being home, and having Angel in trouble, and now having Jack to figure out, he was both mentally and physically exhausted. It had been quite a night. Calming Angel down at Sofie's, getting on his side, and then finding the 'friend' that had gotten him into the whole mess…

Tomorrow would be stressful too, as soon as Ma saw Angel's face. That would be a whole new mess.

He heard Angel in the kitchen for a few minute, getting a drink or something. Then the younger brother came out long enough to say good night.

"I'm sorry about tonight, Bobby," he said gently.

Bobby just shook his head. "It's fine."

"It's like every time you come home I've got some kind of mess."

"Man. I said it was fine." Bobby gave him an earnest look. "Why would I start lying to you at this point? I mean it. Go to bed."

Angel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. We'll talk for real then tomorrow?"

"You gotta talk to Ma tomorrow too."

"I know."

"What time's work tomorrow?"

"I got the afternoon shift."

"Good." Bobby nodded. "Cool."

"Night."

Bobby watched him leave and then just sat there for a few minutes. Angel was a good kid. This would all be straightened out. He hoped. It was a matter of keeping Angel in line. Making him grow up a little bit. That was the hard part.

Bobby sighed tiredly and shifted his gaze to the front door.

He'd been waiting to hear the door open and close to make sure that Jack came inside. He wanted to just go to bed and forget about today, but he realized the least he could do was make sure that the kid came inside.

He'd give him ten minutes.

Bobby turned on the TV for a few minutes, watching some late-night reruns. Then he got up and got a glass of water from the kitchen, leaning on the counter as he drank it and wondering how late he could get away with sleeping tomorrow. That was if he slept. Recently sleeping had just been a problem, leading to constant fatigue.

It seemed like it had been at least ten minutes when he put his glass down in the sink and decided to head out to the front.

He opened the door slowly, wondering what he'd do if Jack wasn't there and wasn't inside. But he didn't have to wonder long as he found Jack right away.

Sleeping.

Jack was sitting on the bottom step, slumped over with his head resting on his arms, leaning onto the upper landing. Bobby just stared at him for a minute, looking out at the dark street for a moment, before crouching down beside him.

"Hey." He poked Jack in the shoulder.

Jack immediately woke up and jolted up into a sitting position. He pulled something out of his pocket and flipped it open, and Bobby immediately recognized it as a sharp pocket knife. When Jack realized it was Bobby beside him, he paused for a minute, looking confused.

"Hey," Bobby objected. "Give me that."

Jack quickly closed the knife and moved to shove it back into his pocket but Bobby quickly snatched it from his hand. Jack tried to grab it back but was too slow. Bobby pocketed it.

"That's not yours," Jack said.

"No," Bobby agreed. "Safekeeping."

"I need it."

"For what? Are you a boy scout?"

Jack punched Bobby in the leg. "It's not yours," he insisted.

"You don't need it," Bobby retorted, pushing his hand away. "Ma doesn't like weapons around the house. In fact, really doesn't like them." He waited for the criticism that he carried a gun with him. Ma was never pleased when he did that. But Jack was too tired to make the connection.

Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly. "But it's mine."

"Then I'll hold onto it for you." Bobby stood back up. "You were sleeping out here. Get up. It's time for bed."

Jack hesitated for a moment but then caught Bobby's eye and stood up right away. Bobby did not look like he'd handle any protests well right now.

"You sleep anywhere, huh?" Bobby mumbled. "Closets, sidewalks…" He started inside and Jack followed him. "Can't be comfortable."

"Wasn't," Jack said. "I had a weird dream."

"Really? 'Bout what?" Bobby turned to lock the door behind them.

"That someone was watching me."

"Out there?"

"Yeah…"

"Doubt that. Although we do have some really nosy neighbors…" Bobby answered. He pushed Jack towards the stairs. "You go up. I gotta clean up down here quick."